1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming system which determines whether to shift to a special game, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
There have been known gaming machines configured to display plural types of symbols scrolled and then stopped, and to award a predetermined amount of game media (e.g. a predetermined amount of coins or money) according to a combination of symbols stopped and displayed. Such gaming machines are disclosed in the specifications of U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,133, No. 6,012,983, and No. 6,093,102, for example.
Further, as the specifications of U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,728, No. 5,116,055, No. 4,964,638, No. 4,842,278, No. 7,056,215, and No. 7,108,603 disclose, there are known gaming systems each having plural gaming machines linked to each other via a network. Among these gaming systems is a system which pools part of game media input in each gaming machine, and paying out the pooled game media to a gaming machine having won the progressive jackpot.
Further, among the gaming machines is a gaming machine which runs a free game (special game) when a predetermined condition (e.g. rearrangement of a particular symbol during a game) is met during a game. The free game is a game playable without a need of betting a game media. For example, the specification of the publication of Australian patent application No. 200119729 discloses a gaming machine which runs a free game as a sub game, when a predetermined condition (e.g. a particular arrangement of symbols) is met during a base game.
Since the free game is played without consuming a game medium, players in general plays a game with a strong hope for occurrence of the free game. For this reason, there is a demand for a gaming machine which draws more attention of players to the game, with additional characteristics of conditions for occurrence of a free game, effects used when the free game occurs, the number of times the free game is repeated, or effects used during the free game.
Another known problem of such a gaming machine running a free game or the like as a special game is a complicated program for running the games. This is attributed to the need for a program or control for running the special game. Simplification of the program or control therefore is also required.
The present invention is made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a gaming system with a simplified program for running a special game and control, which is capable of drawing more attention of players to the game. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a control method of such a gaming system.